diff --git a/conda/plumed/build.sh b/conda/plumed/build.sh
index a0d488bab2cd6c57c86c67449027cbceb989a60d..8de59cb7df64b4bd2aa87d3a95e49b34e62ff8ad 100644
--- a/conda/plumed/build.sh
+++ b/conda/plumed/build.sh
@@ -11,13 +11,17 @@ fi
 # we also store path so that software linking libplumedWrapper.a knows where libplumedKernel can be found.
 export CPPFLAGS="-D__PLUMED_DEFAULT_KERNEL=$PREFIX/lib/libplumedKernel$SHLIB_EXT $CPPFLAGS"
 
+# enable optimization
+export CXXFLAGS="${CXXFLAGS//-O2/-O3}"
+
 # libraries are explicitly listed here due to --disable-libsearch
 export LIBS="-lgsl -lgslcblas -llapack -lblas -lxdrfile -lz $LIBS"
 
 # python is disabled since it should be provided as a separate package
 # --disable-libsearch forces to link only explicitely requested libraries
 # --disable-static-patch avoid tests that are only required for static patches
-./configure --prefix=$PREFIX --disable-python --disable-libsearch --disable-static-patch
+# --disable-static-archive makes package smaller
+./configure --prefix=$PREFIX --disable-python --disable-libsearch --disable-static-patch --disable-static-archive
 
 make -j${CPU_COUNT}
 make install
diff --git a/conda/plumed/meta.yaml b/conda/plumed/meta.yaml
index 5317452d01cec0b8367bd75a1dd87d50fa5b31fe..d565eec2784581d86003c79ba88f6b7b7006e156 100644
--- a/conda/plumed/meta.yaml
+++ b/conda/plumed/meta.yaml
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@ test:
     - plumed-patch -h
     - plumed config has external_blas external_lapack gsl xdrfile zlib
     - $PREFIX/lib/plumed/plumed-runtime -h
-    - test -f $PREFIX/lib/libplumed.a
     - test -f $PREFIX/lib/libplumed$SHLIB_EXT
     - test -f $PREFIX/lib/libplumedWrapper.a
     - test -f $PREFIX/lib/libplumedKernel$SHLIB_EXT
diff --git a/conda/run-conda-upload.sh b/conda/run-conda-upload.sh
index efa9d24016952233d72d938c8aea535280af17df..10950beb7f13d3d7e80f78fc8c1ea16c48a9e46e 100644
--- a/conda/run-conda-upload.sh
+++ b/conda/run-conda-upload.sh
@@ -5,10 +5,14 @@ export CONDA_HOME=/var/tmp/miniconda
 
 export PATH="$CONDA_HOME/bin:$PATH"
 
+CONDA_USER=plumed  # the conda channel
+if test -n "$TRAVIS_REPO_SLUG" ; then
+  CONDA_USER="${TRAVIS_REPO_SLUG%/*}"
+fi
+
 if [[ -n "$CONDA_UPLOAD_TOKEN" ]]; then
-    USER=plumed  # the conda channel
-    anaconda -t $CONDA_UPLOAD_TOKEN upload -u $USER -l $CONDA_LABEL $CONDA_HOME/conda-bld/$TRAVIS_OS_NAME-64/plumed*.tar.bz2 --force
-    anaconda -t $CONDA_UPLOAD_TOKEN upload -u $USER -l $CONDA_LABEL $CONDA_HOME/conda-bld/$TRAVIS_OS_NAME-64/py-plumed*.tar.bz2 --force
+    anaconda -t $CONDA_UPLOAD_TOKEN upload -u $CONDA_USER -l $CONDA_LABEL $CONDA_HOME/conda-bld/$TRAVIS_OS_NAME-64/plumed*.tar.bz2 --force
+    anaconda -t $CONDA_UPLOAD_TOKEN upload -u $CONDA_USER -l $CONDA_LABEL $CONDA_HOME/conda-bld/$TRAVIS_OS_NAME-64/py-plumed*.tar.bz2 --force
 fi